by Tom Gallagher
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May 18, 2010
The sad legacy of Cardinal Justin Rigali and Bishop Joe Martino in Scranton diocese continues.
"The arbitration awards stem from complaints filed by the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, which had represented some teachers until 2006, when then-BishopJoseph Martino restructured the entire Catholic school system, eliminating local school boards and parish councils the union had dealt with. The union asked to represent teachers under the new system of four regional school boards, but was rejected. The diocese opted to start an “Employee Relations Program” it repeatedly insists gives all school employees fair representation.
The union argued the contracts teachers had before restructuring guaranteed that teachers who lost their jobs during the restructuring were eligible for accumulated sick leave and severance pay. The union filed grievances and says that, since May 2008, separate arbitration hearings were held for the teachers."
